preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the flour, margarine, salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse about seven times, or until the mixture looks like sand. You can also do this by hand in a large bowl with two knives or a pastry cutter. Add 1 egg yolk, the vanilla, orange blossom water, if using, and the tablespoon of cold water. Process or mix just until the dough comes together.

2. Place a large piece of parchment on the counter and grease lightly using the paper or foil wrapper that wrapped the margarine. Dump the dough onto the greased parchment and, using a rolling pin, roll into a large circle, about 9 inches in diameter.

3. To decorate the edge of the cookie, using the flat end of the handle of a wooden spoon, or the tip of your index finger, make indentations one after the other all around the outside of the circle.

4. Whisk together the remaining egg yolk with the 1/2 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the cookie with egg wash. Using the tines of a fork, make one set of lines straight across the top of the cookie. Make another set about 2 inches below the first. Repeat until you have four to five sets of lines. Now slide the parchment a quarter turn to the right and make four to five additional sets of lines, each about 2 inches apart. The new set of lines should cross the first set of lines on an angle, creating a diamond-shaped grid.

5. Sprinkle the top of the cookie with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet and bake for 35 to 37 minutes, until the edges start to look golden. Remove from the oven and immediately cut the cookie into 8 or 12 large wedges or about eighteen 1 x 3-inch bars, if you like. If you wait until the cookie cools to cut it, you will not get nice clean edges.